By Your Side
by Rennemeow
Summary: With a past filled with pain, one can only hope for a better life after settling in anew. Relationships with many grow into unified bonds, with memories that will last forever. Only the strong can keep all that has been gained by his side. RatatoskxEmil
1. First Encounter

**Chapter 1: First Encounter**

With his eyebrows furrowed in frustration, he fiddled with his tie. After a few more minutes, he let out a groan and gave up. Giving a pointed stare at the twisted piece of stripped fabric, he glanced over the rest of his appearance once more in the mirror. He was wearing a carefully ironed uniform consisting of a white dress shirt with the green school emblem sewn on the left and a pair of black pants. His eyes, a striking emerald, gazed back at him. His unruly blond hair contrasted heavily with his vibrant eyes. Looking up, he saw a stubborn clump of hair that stuck itself into the air. It was awkward, yes, but no matter what he did, he didn't seem to be able to flatten it onto his scalp like the rest of his hair.

'_Why? Why do I look so different from everyone else?'_ His gaze dropped as memories started to fill his mind.

'_It's Emil the cowardly loser!!'_

'_Why do you have green eyes?'_

'_Do you wear contacts to try to make yourself look manly?? _

'_What a joke!!'_

'_Your hair looks like a demented antenna!'_

'_Ever hear of a comb or hair-gel, you moron?!'_

Tears threatened to well up in his eyes, which he blinked away quickly. He couldn't start crying now. He promised himself that he wouldn't dwell on the past anymore. What's done is done, and he had finally come to the conclusion that there was no point in reliving his pain. His new life was starting today and he was determined to finally make some real friends. It was easier said than done though, since he never had much experience in the social world.

Leaning down, Emil splashed his face with water one last time and grabbed a towel to dry off. He opened the door and walked back into his bedroom. Most of his things were still packed neatly into boxes sealed with tape. He and his mom had settled in late last night after a long day of shopping and moving furniture. Emil hadn't gotten around to unpacking his boxes and had had to wander the streets of this unknown town the day before to purchase his school supplies. Grabbing his brand-new messenger bag, he exited his room and descended down the stairs.

Making his way to the kitchen, Emil noticed that a breakfast had been set out for him. His eyes scanned the table and found a note next to his smiley-face eggs and bacon.

'_I'm so sorry, but I have to leave early today. I've prepared your breakfast so you can have a fantastic first day at your new school. I drew a map for you on the other side of this sheet and since you're such a smart boy, I expect you not to get lost! Good Luck! I love you! _

–_Mom'_

True to her words, his mother had indeed drawn a map complete with arrows and street names. Emil smiled softly and silently thanked his doting mother. He was just about to sit down when something on the wall caught his eye. The clock read 8:20.

"Ten minutes?! I'm going to be late!" exclaimed a now very flustered Emil.

Snatching his mother's note from the table, he raced to the door. On his way down the hall, he apologized out loud to his mother for not being able to eat the food she had prepared for him. Stuffing his feet into his black loafers, Emil ran out the door and across his driveway. Suddenly, he jerked forward and tripped on a crack in the cement. He quickly sat up and winced at the fresh wound on his head. Cursing his horrible luck, he scrambled to his feet. Now nursing a bump on the back of his skull, Emil hurried his way towards what would be his new school for the rest of the year.

_~Ten Minutes Later~_

Emil sprinted his way to the front entrance of the burgundy building and arrived in time for the bell. "And he makes it. The crowd goes wild," he murmured while panting heavily. He rested his head against the door with a tiny grin on his face.

"Move it. You're blocking the door."

He jumped at the sudden appearance of another person and spun around hastily. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to cause you any trouble! I'm really s-sorry!" Emil stuttered out.

In front of him was a man who resembled him in more ways than one. He had the same hair color and the same hair style as him, complete with the vertical stick of hair. This caught him off guard and Emil unconsciously started to lean in closer to study the stranger, curiosity getting the better of him. He noticed that this person was wearing the same clothing as him, indicating that he was also attending this school. He was the same height as him, so they were probably in the same grade. Emil's gaze fell to the pendant that he was wearing. It was a small red orb, the size of a ping-pong ball, with the imprints of what looked like wings in the center. _'Where have I seen that design before? Is it just me, or is it…glowing?' _Reaching forward slowly, the tips of his fingers gently touched the sphere.

"What are you doing…?" asked the stranger. Emil's head shot up and his eyes widened when he came face-to-face with a pair of piercing red eyes just inches away. How had he gotten so close?! What was he doing?! He stepped back quickly with a blush on his face and blurted out an apology.

"Che. I don't care for apologies. Those who are truly sorry make up for what they have done." As he started to walk past Emil, he heard him whisper something. He slowed to a stop just before the entrance of the school.

"I really am sorry… Please tell me your name so I can apologize to you properly." The stranger paused for a few seconds before he responded.

"Ratatosk. My name is Ratatosk."

**Preview – Chapter 2: Making Friends, Gaining Fans **

"_Why does it feel like I've seen you before?"_

"_Everyone, let's welcome Emil Castagnier."_

"_My name's Marta! You look really cute!" _


	2. Making Friends, Gaining Fans

**Chapter 2: Making Friends, Gaining Fans**

"…R-ratotax? R-ratattacks?"

He glared darkly at Emil before speaking. "My name is Ratatosk. Ra-ta-tosk. Get it right!"

"I'm s-so sorry Rato-I mean-Ratatosk!" _'I've heard that name before, I'm sure of it. It's just, where?'_ Emil racked his brain for an answer to his question. 'Ratatosk' certainly wasn't a frequently used name, yet he felt a connection to it. That name meant something to him, but he didn't seem to be able to associate it with anything significant that had happened in his life. Emil was positive that he would have remembered someone who looked like he could be his twin.

"I thought you were going to 'apologize to me properly'? You better do it quickly before I lose my patience," he said in an irritated tone.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Emil flushed at his absent-mindedness. He stared at the ground before bowing down deeply in front of Ratatosk. "Mr. Ratatosk, I'm really sorry that I have caused you any trouble. Please forgive me."

"…Don't call me Mr. Ratatosk, you fool. It makes me feel old." With that said, he walked into the high school, leaving Emil outside to gape at the closing door.

'_So did he forgive me?!'_ he questioned. Running a hand through his hair in exasperation, Emil came to his senses and realized that his encounter with the mysterious Ratatosk had lasted a full 5 minutes.

"That's just great…I ended up late anyways." Emil sighed and walked into his new school.

_~30 Minutes Later~_

"Did you hear? We're getting a new transfer student today."

"Do you think it's going to be a girl or a boy?"

"It better be a boy. There is a serious lack of cute guys here."

"What?! My dear Marta, how could you betray me so?!"

"Don't mind her, Zelos. She's just ticked off because she can't hold down a boyfriend."

"What did you say Genis?"

"He said, 'She's just ticked off because she can't hold down a boyfriend.'"

"Presea!"

"But that's what you-"

A loud slap resounded in the air as the rest of the students cringed. Just as Marta was about to yell at Genis, Professor Sage intervened from the doorway.

"Marta! Violence is not allowed in my classroom! Detention after school!" Genis let out a small snicker and received a nasty look from Marta. Professor Sage walked to the front of the class and signalled for the attention of her pupils. The chatter died down and everyone resumed their seats to face their teacher.

"As you all know, we have a transfer student today. Everyone, please welcome Emil Castagnier."

Professor Sage motioned to the door where Emil stood. Looking around, Emil felt the stares of 26 people directed at him. Due to his self-conscious nature, he found himself looking down to his feet.

'…'

'_He looks like a nice boy!'_

'_So lame…'_

'_Why is he looking at his feet?'_

'…_I wonder if he likes paw pads…'_

'_Yes! Victory! There's finally a cute guy in my class!'_

"Come over here, Emil. No need to be shy." Emil shuffled his feet to the front and faced the class with a bright red face.

"I-it's nice to meet you all. Please treat me nicely." Ending his short introduction with a bow, he quickly stepped back and directed his frazzled mind out the window. _'The weather sure is nice out.'_

"Emil, you can take a seat next to Lloyd. Lloyd, please raise your hand so Emil can see you."

No response.

"Lloyd Irving! Are you sleeping in my class?!"

Again, no response.

Professor Sage stalked towards a sleeping figure at the back of the room. He had spiky brown hair that rose vertically, even with his head down. He was breathing in a rhythmic pattern, letting out soft snores that were barely noticeable. Taking in a deep breath, Professor Sage yelled out in an ear-popping scream.

"LLOYD IRVING! GET UP NOW!"

Jerking up, Lloyd groggily rubbed his eyes before turning to his teacher. His breath stalled in his throat and his eyes widened when he saw how furious Professor Sage was. Another loud slap, along with a yelp, resonated throughout the classroom and the students cringed yet again.

"And she gives me detention for being violent…" muttered Marta.

Emil sat down next to Lloyd, now bewildered and a little fearful of his new professor. He listened intently as Professor Sage started a lesson on radical exponents and expressions.

Holding his head in pain, Lloyd finally took the time to notice the newcomer. He looked over Emil with a questioning glance. Lloyd looked again, yet he didn't seem to be able to pinpoint what was so peculiar about this one transfer student. Looking forward to make sure "Maniac Sage" wasn't looking, he leaned sideways and whispered to Emil.

"Why does it feel like I've seen you before?"

Emil sent a confused look at him and was about to ask him what he meant, when a bubbly voice interrupted him from the right.

"My name's Marta! You look really cute!" Caught off guard, Emil blushed involuntarily. Marta's smile widened.

"W-w-what are you talking about?" He had never ever been called 'cute' by a female other than his mom. Emil felt a small surge of male pride, but squashed it down. He was about to ask the pink-haired girl why she thought he was cute when another voice interrupted him from the front.

"Him? Cute? You're kidding right? A fly would be considered cuter than this sack of potatoes." A fiery red-head in front of him had turned around and was now scowling at him. Nervous at all the attention, Emil tried to concentrate on the lesson. He found out that it was more difficult than he thought it would be.

"Shut up, Zelos. I'd rather have a fly than a stinking piece of horse manure."

"You know you love me. You're just in denial."

"I am in denial. I'm in denial that I don't want to slap you in the face."

"If you want your hands on me, all you have to do is ask."

"You're such a…"

Emil tried his best to drown out the arguing and looked to his left. Giving Lloyd a weak smile, he asked him a question.

"Does this happen a lot?" Lloyd mushroom sighed and nodded.

"Everyday. Don't worry though, you get used to it."

"…I'm afraid of the day that happens." Chuckling, Lloyd held out his hand with a grin.

"I never did introduce myself properly. I'm Lloyd Irving. I hope we can be friends."

An overjoyed Emil took his hand and let out a wide grin of his own. "That would be great!"

With the arguing duo behind him and the smiling brunette in front of him, Emil felt a wave of happiness wash over him. He had made a friend. Thinking happy thoughts, he looked up and suddenly his mind went blank.

"LLOYD, ZELOS, MARTA, AND EMIL! PAY ATTENTION!"

**Preview – Chapter 3: Fools in Detention**

"_It's your first day and you ended up with a detention? Pathetic."_

"_Silence."_

"_Hi! I'm Colette! Would you like some of my apple pie?"_


End file.
